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My WiFi Signal Booster Wok Antenna w/ Directional Antenna from LinkSys

This is a signal booster I made for my LinkSys WMP54G card. The antenna is a D-Link High Gain Antenna, has a 3 foot cord attached. Before I put the dish around the antenna and had the antenna by the window and I got around -75dB on Net Stumbler. After placing the antenna through the strainer at the focal point I immediately went to -50dB. Wireless Zero popped up Wireless Network Connection is now connected Signal Strength: Excellent.
It was Low sometimes would go to Very Low.
Couldn't believe it worked so well. Just wanted to show everyone.

-liquidco0L

20 comments

Aug 23, 2008. 9:40 AMkarl_herrick says:

I have a few woktennas described at my site...

http://karlherrick.com/dev/2006/02/10/woktenna/
http://karlherrick.com/dev/2005/03/29/wireless-antenna-booster/
http://karlherrick.com/dev/2004/08/29/wifi-antenna/

most of the ideas came from the "Poor Man's WiFi" from New Zealand.

Jun 19, 2010. 6:25 AMmadworx says:

great..!! very awesome design...

May 11, 2009. 8:32 PMextrordinary1 says:

I'm about to use a wok lid myself soon. Currently using an improvised parabolic reflector pattern from Windsurfer.com for my 9 dB Rubber Duck magnet mount antenna.

Before I made my mod, I was pulling in a signal 2 very long blocks away with just my WMP54G Linksys card and stock antenna with a weak to fair signal.
I'm now getting full signal and no weather interferance at all. I'm ordering a cable for my stock antenna from Data Alliance.com, they have all kinds of wifi equipment there. That will be my cable for my wok lid to replace this improvised version of my antenna now. I get a great signal with the Rubber duck magnetic mount and dish reflector. BTW, I doubled the template size of the Windsurfer reflector.

May 11, 2010. 4:48 PMWIFIENGINEER says:

Hey liquid cool,

As I pointed out, you were not at the focal point and the parabola would have to be MUCH larger to produce 25db gain.
At 2.4ghz, a PERFECT parabolic reflector would have to be at least 18inches
in diameter to produce that kind of gain.
By the way, how's the Alpha networks USB adapter working ; )
Did you ever try and make a 2.4ghz version of your home brew tv antenna?

But like I said, that was the most interesting looking antenna I had ever seen
Keep on building and we'll keep watching

Feb 27, 2010. 9:07 PMalec_lilley says:

do you get any polarisation problems as a result of a horizontally mounted antenna? (assuming the access point's antenna was verticle)

Aug 28, 2009. 11:26 PMDingleNutZ says:

looks as thought u shoved an antenna thru a strainer if u ask me. simple yet effective. y didnt i think of this? sorry bout the short hand, hackin my grandads wifi from da loo xD.

Mar 18, 2009. 5:51 PMjoinaqd says:

does the wireless access point have to be connected to a DSL line?

May 26, 2009. 6:41 PMliquidCo0L (author) says:

What does this mean? The access point doesn't HAVE to be connected to anything, but you would have no internet connection then...so it would defeat the purpose. You have to have a internet connection on the access point (router). The kind is up to you, although I would not recommend a 56K lol.

Feb 8, 2008. 4:18 AMPaulcet says:

How far away is the AP?

Feb 8, 2008. 10:26 AMliquidCo0L (author) says:

im in my house and im connecting to a access point 6 houses down the street. It's in a friend of mine's house who's letting me use his internet to play a online game with him. It's atleast 50 -75 yards.

Jan 2, 2009. 7:10 PMKNomad says:

liquidCo0L .. great set up! I just got a 13.25" half-round strainer 6" deep, how did you attach the can to the back of the screen strainer? What is the 'stand' from originally?

May 26, 2009. 6:39 PMliquidCo0L (author) says:

My fault for the long delay in my reply. Forgot about this whole website lol. The stand is from a small desktop oscillating fan I just ripped the guts out of it and used it to mount my tin can to so I can have it stationary and have the ability to have it tilt up and down and left to right as the fan did. To attach, epoxy. I think I used some hardcore rubber cement. :)

Apr 11, 2009. 11:17 PMKasm279 says:

i am 100% positive it was from a fan

May 26, 2009. 6:40 PMliquidCo0L (author) says:

Excellent guess there friend. You are 100% correct :)

Mar 19, 2008. 6:21 PMBody4Change.com says:

I've been reading a LOT of this WiFi stuff here on our extraordinary Instructables.com and was wondering if anyone has tested the strainer method against the coffee can or pringles method and also against using an old directv satellite and such. Which one would give me the best reception? I'm guessing the satellite dish but I am new to this. TIA!

Oct 23, 2008. 11:34 PMextrordinary1 says:

If you use the dishnetwork method, you will want to make a secondary collector that concentrates the signal to an even smaller area to completely engulf the wireless antenna and give you maximum possible gain. Set the secondary collector/reflector to focus all the signal to your main antenna. You won't gain that much with just putting your antenna in the hotspot of dish. Adding the second half circle full length reflector to concentrate the signal more, and suround your antenna, will give you the maximum gain possible.

Jul 20, 2008. 1:12 PMassid says:

how did you connect it to your card? I am planning on making something like this to connect to an RP-TNC connector to my router. Basically making a double sided RP-TNC connector (male/female combo) so i can use as an extension to this apparatus. However, what I read is that if i put something like that , it would probably cause more issues AS the wifi signals are created by using wires of certain lengths. Any suggestions?

Apr 25, 2008. 12:49 PMboohoo says:

inspiron 1520 are you "OK". how can boosting your wifi signal be related to exposing yourself to viruses if we are talking about... well go look up OSI network layers. I guess you mean less signal means less prone to viruses. Well you can be connected to the net or not and if you are, it doesnÂ´t matter the signal level that your wifi radio registers. Connected = vulnerable. To make your computer less vulnerable is another topic that has nuttin to do with what is being talked about here. Nothing at all.